Graffiti damage has been an increasingly growing concern. The term graffiti has lost it's historical meaning and has acquired a negative tone to it. Today most people view graffiti not as an art form but as a form of vandalism and property destruction. Graffiti is mostly found in institutions such as schools, public and private buildings, automobiles, trucks, trains, cars and public rest rooms and, in open areas such as support walls for bridges, inner walls of buildings and park structures. The vast majority of graffiti are created with oil-based paints including enamels, epoxies, lacquers and urethanes, which are applied by spray cans.
Conventionally, removal of unwanted graffiti has been performed by sandblasting the graffiti from the substrate. However, this method is expensive and hazardous to health due to the emission of potential carcinogenic particles. Moreover, the method causes damages to the paint surface. No long term solutions are offered by the use of this method and the surface will likely be repainted with new graffiti damages.
Another method commonly used is by treating the substrate with chemicals. In this case, the chemicals often destroy the surface and, are generally hazardous as they require handling with highly caustic solutions.
In an attempt to overcome many of the problems associated with sandblasting and chemical methods, it has been common practice to apply a protective coating on top of the paint or to use a paint which has anti-adhesive properties against graffiti. However, such coatings or paints have a slow final curing time. Also, they are too soft and is often damages by the paint removers which are used to remove the graffiti. Another disadvantage is that such coatings and paints do not age well, and with time will often become sticky and pick up dirt.